1. Field of the Invention
Our invention relates to apparatus for lowering lifted toilet seats, and more particularly to apparatus for automatically lowering a lifted toilet seat, or toilet seat and cover, in response to the flushing of the toilet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatus for lowering toilet seats are well known in the prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,350, issued Mar. 25, 1986, discloses a device for automatically returning a lifted toilet seat, or a lifted toilet seat and its cover, to its normal lowered or horizontal position on the toilet bowl. More particularly, the device disclosed in this patent is an easily mountable device for automatically returning a lifted toilet seat or seat and cover to the lowered position after the elapse of a predetermined interval from the time when the seat or cover is lifted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,442, issued Feb. 28, 1984, discloses a device for operating the seat and cover of a flush toilet, comprising a pair of floats installed in the flush tank which are operatively connected with the toilet seat and cover. The disclosed device further comprises holding levers adapted to hold the floats submerged in the water in the flush tank. The holding levers are operable by hand to release the floats, thus allowing the floats to buoy up or ascend, and consequently to raise the seat and cover, which are subsequently lowered when the water in the flush tank is drained during a conventional toilet flushing operation.
Foot-actuated toilet seat operating devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,842,779; 2,849,728; and 4,103,371, and in Danish Patent No. 67,372.
It is believed, however, that none of the apparatus disclosed in these patents achieves the several objects of our present invention, or does so with the economy of manufacturer and ease of installation which are characteristic of our invention.
For example, the apparatus of said U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,530 is limited in its application to toilets in which the clearance space between the flush tank and the lid or seat cover in its stable upright position is great enough to accommodate collapsible and expandable device 26. In many currently marketed toilets, however, this clearance space is very narrow.
Further, the fact that the device of said U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,530 operates after a fixed time interval following the lifting of the toilet lid gives rise to the possibility that the lid may be lowered while the toilet is being used as a urinal, resulting in spillage of urine outside the toilet bowl.
Yet further, it is evident that expandable device 26 would be very annoying, if not outright uncomfortable, to a person seated on lid 18 if the device of the patent were installed as illustrated therein. If, on the other hand, device 26 were suspended from lid 18, to operate seat 16 only, device 26 would obviously cause considerable discomfort to persons seated on seat 16. Also, it appears that if device 26 were suspended from seat 18 it would drop into the toilet bowl, or at least be awkward to handle when lid 18 is lowered.
The apparatus of said U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,442 is very complex as compared with the apparatus of the present invention, and involves modification of the flush tank (to accommodate levers 51, 52, and 53), making the device of said U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,442 not only more expensive to fabricate but also more difficult to install. Indeed, it would appear that the apparatus of said U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,442 would require the services of a plumber for its correct installation.
Further, the operation of the apparatus of said U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,442 is more difficult and subject to error than the operation of the apparatus of our invention, in that the operation of the device of the 4,433,442 patent involves the manipulation of three levers, 51, 52, 53, whereas the operation of the apparatus of our invention does not involve the manipulation of any additional levers or other control means.
The foot-actuated toilet seat operating devices of U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,842,779; 2,849,728; and 4,102,371; and of Danish Patent No. 67,372, all operate in a manner completely different from that of the apparatus of our invention. None of these devices operates automatically in response to the flushing of the toilet as do the devices of our invention.
The term "prior art" as used herein or in any statement made by or on behalf of applicants means only that any document or thing referred to as prior art bears, directly or inferentially, a date which is earlier than the effective filing date hereof.
No representation or admission is made that any of the United States and foreign patents discussed hereinabove is part of the prior art, or that no more pertinent information exists.